Everyone benefits when we stand up to sexism

While men can certainly be impacted by sexism, we generally think of women as the targets and the stats show that women suffer most. According to the Collins English dictionary:

“Sexism is the belief that the members of one sex, usually women, are less intelligent or less capable than those of the other sex and need not be treated equally. It is also the behaviour which is the result of this belief.”

Obviously, it makes sense that women would want to see an end to sexism in all its forms, but it’s not a zero sum game. It actually benefits society as a whole, and that obviously includes men.

Standing up to sexism – It’s good for business

Sexism at work doesn’t just mean laddish cultures that enable harassment and abuse, but biased hiring and promotions, and work schedules that hamper working mothers more than working fathers, Research giants like McKinsey and S&P Global, academics and women’s groups like The 30% Club, all report that when companies have women on the board or in very senior positions, those companies generate more profits and share prices go up. In addition, women bosses tend to attract and recruit more women which results in an upward spiral of good things. 

Companies have customers at the end of the chain, and half of that customer base comprises women. Since women make the majority of purchasing decisions too, it makes sense to have our input in areas like product development and marketing campaigns. Having more women in these roles helps companies identify and meet their customers’ needs.

Standing up to sexism – It’s good for families

Flexible work schedules for example, benefit both men and women. Since women are still shouldering most of the unpaid work in families, we clearly benefit from the ability to work around our domestic needs. (And yes, there’s lot of work to be done on the allocation of domestic chores in most families.) If men could also flex their schedules a little, they’d be more able to share the work load and – added bonus – more likely to make that school play or hockey game. As the saying goes, “At your death bed, you’ll never wish you’d spent more time at the office.”

And let’s not forget that other old adage – “Happy spouse, happy house”. When the housework is unequally divided, there is resentment, usually felt by over-burdened working mothers. This in turn, causes friction in the relationship. A 2019 survey by the American review company Yelp, found that 80% of chore-doing respondents had disagreements about housework – and a fifth of those said this was frequent.  No prizes for guessing what happens to seething resentment.

Standing up to sexism – It’s good for the kids

When our kids see mums and dads sharing housework it breaks the cycle of parenting roles being traditionally ‘male’ or ‘female’.

The Fawcett Society recently published “Unlimited Potential”, a report looking at early childhood gender stereotyping and the harm it can do throughout a child’s life. The report defined this stereotyping as “oversimplified generalisations that dictate what is acceptable or expected for women and girls, and men and boys.”

Gender stereotyping means anything from using “boys will be boys” to excuse inappropriate behaviour, steering kids away from certain clothes or toys, though to reading them biased literature and directing them to traditionally male or female school subjects. The harm ranges from boys being ridiculed for expressing ‘softer’ emotions, girls being taught to be submissive, and later, the gender pay gap, street harassment, homophobia and violence against women.

The benefits of stamping out sexism are both short and long term. Seeing dad make the dinner or put a load of washing in, or helping mum change the oil in the car, can make a huge difference. According to “Gender 10 – A practical toolkit for primary schools” (put out by Education Scotland):

“By providing children with environments that encourage non-gendered norms and expectations, children can feel more accepted and celebrated for their individuality”.

So come on mums and dads, let’s play our part in standing up to sexism. We might not think there’s much we can do individually, but our children are watching us and taking cues from us. We can do this!

A book to respond to sexism as it happens

We teamed up with author and longtime friend of BritMums Toni Summers Hargis to answer that question. How to Stand Up to Sexism, out now, ensures you are never left speechless again. Sometimes we know a comment or action is wrong and want to say something, but are so shocked we end up silent. The book is full of words and phrases that deliver comebacks to everything from microaggressions to outright insults and worse, giving you or your loved ones the perfect response at your fingertips every time.

Why you need this book

For us as parents, this book is an invaluable tool as we teach our children — both boys and girls — about sexism and how to respond to it. Sadly it’s more important and essential now than it has been for some time. Sexual harassment is a routine part of the school experience, according to Ofsted. The site Everyone’s Invited has highlighted how pervasive sexist behaviour, harassment and assault is among under 18s. And the government’s strategy is woefully inadequate.

How to Stand Up to Sexism won’t fix all that. And we’re not here to tell women and girls that it’s their responsibility to stop bad or even criminal behaviour. But we can speak up and let people know when they’ve said or done something unacceptable — and let them know we won’t accept it!

Empower yourself and your children by getting a copy of How to Stand Up to Sexism today. Buy it for a friend. Use it to start conversations that are hard to broach. You’ll be glad you did!

Where to buy

Find more retailers and get more information. #StandUpToSexism #HowtoStandUpToSexism